Wang Yunjong to Be Summoned for Questioning at 2 p.m. Today
Yoon's iPhone Sent to Supreme Prosecutors' Office for Forensic Analysis
The special prosecutor team led by Lee Myunghyun, which is investigating allegations of external pressure on the investigation into the death of Marine Corps Corporal Chae, will summon Kang Eugu, former Chief of Staff at the Presidential Office, as a witness for questioning on the 16th.
Special Prosecutor Jeong Minyoung stated at a press briefing on the 15th, "We plan to summon former Chief Kang for questioning at 2 p.m. tomorrow," adding, "We will verify whether the Presidential Office was involved in any part of the process, including suspicions of interference in the investigation, from immediately after Corporal Chae's death."
Special Prosecutor Jeong explained, "At the time of Corporal Chae's death, former Chief Kang was in a position directly assisting former President Yoon Sukyeol. Although he was not a participant in the meeting on July 31, 2023, it has been revealed that he had multiple phone conversations with former Defense Secretary Lim Kihun on the day of the meeting." Former Chief Kang, who previously served as a prosecutor, was a close aide to former President Yoon when Yoon was Prosecutor General, serving as his secretary. After Yoon was elected president, Kang resigned from the prosecution and moved to the Presidential Office.
Regarding reports that Kim Yonghyun, former Minister of National Defense, attended the meeting in question, Jeong said, "The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) reviewed documents related to the meeting, and Kim Yonghyun, who was then Chief of Presidential Security, was listed as an attendee. However, it has not been specifically confirmed whether he actually attended the meeting."
The special prosecutor team, after summoning Lee Chungmyun, former Foreign Affairs Secretary at the National Security Office, the previous day, also plans to summon Wang Yunjong, former Economic Security Secretary (formerly the third deputy director of the National Security Office), as a witness for questioning at 2 p.m. today. Both individuals attended the senior secretaries' meeting where rumors of the president's anger were raised.
Meanwhile, the special prosecutor team has requested forensic analysis from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office for the iPhone of former President Yoon, which was seized during a search and seizure at his residence in Seocho-dong, Seoul, on July 11. It is reported that former President Yoon's side refused the special prosecutor team's request to provide the phone's password. Special Prosecutor Jeong stated, "We are checking whether it is possible to conduct forensic analysis on a seized phone without the password being provided by the owner, but we have not yet received an answer regarding the feasibility."
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